[BlackcatAlum]

Final from Betsy Layne

Really entertaining game to watch. Shelby Valley defense holds Betsy Layne scoreless in the second half.

Last 5 minutes of the game honestly couldn't have gone worse for either team, but Valley survives.

Wildcats now in the drivers seat to win 2A district 8 again and host first couple of rounds of the playoffs.

[barnburner]

Betsy Layne has now lost to the two competent teams they have played this year… their true colors came out after the last interception, pitiful attitude and 0 respect.

[Blacksmith]

Congrats SV, BL and those penalties., dang..

[Hawks101]

Be a good game next week as well. Valley plays defense in second half

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Congrats valley

[More Cowbell]

Shew... I have no idea what was going on in the SV coach's head there at the end. What was he thinking? You just cannot go for it on 4th down there. Either punt it, or run it out the back of the end zone and take the safety, then kick it. Either way would have pushed the ball out near the 40 yard line or so. With time for only a couple of plays, the game would have practically been over. Instead, the Wildcats had to sweat it out to the end.

[bac2369]

Definitely dumb as hell to not punt that damn ball.

[Blacksmith]

Yea, I don't know what they were thinking there. Almost handed the game back to GL with a ribbon on it

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Just a side note, did y'all see that coach chasing the refs across the field after the game as the refs were walking off ? LOL, looked like he was pretty dang upset and looking to vent some frustration..

[Colonel4Life1999]

Yea, I don't know what they were thinking there. Almost handed the game back to GL with a ribbon on it

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Just a side note, did y'all see that coach chasing the refs across the field after the game as the refs were walking off ? LOL, looked like he was pretty dang upset and looking to vent some frustration..

Bobcats had a receiver down in the end zone on that last play, looked to be a PI but didn’t get the call they wanted. Aside from any of this, Valley got lucky after the decision to not punt there late. Not sure what the thought process was there. Lol

[bac2369]

I believe 16 was wide open on the play. He wasn’t even looked at.

[BlackcatAlum]

Bobcats have just become predictable on offense. Defenses are keying on McCutcheon and Allen and BL just doesn't have the quantity of playmakers they have had previous years. Makes things very difficult for Parsons, because defenses are bringing 7 or 8 guys every play and he just doesn't have time to make the throws he was last season.

I don't know what the answer is for BL going forward, but Pike Central is going to give the Bobcats fits as well. The Hawks struggle on offense, but their defense isn't bad. Teams are going to keep spreading BL's defense out and making those LB's cover the field and wear those big guys down.

Gotta give credit to Valley's coaches. They had a game plan and did some stuff I hadn't seen in some of the previous games I've watched of theirs and they attacked the BL defensive weaknesses. That's coaching. I don't know what happened at the end, I seriously doubt they called for Johnson to not punt the football. I think Johnson seen a lane to run and just made a bad play. Wildcats definitely got lucky their at the end.

I wouldn't mind watching these two play again though. It was a fun game to watch.

[More Cowbell]

I don't know what happened at the end, I seriously doubt they called for Johnson to not punt the football. I think Johnson seen a lane to run and just made a bad play. Wildcats definitely got lucky their at the end.

I guess that's possible.  If true, though, it still reflects poorly on the coaches if the player thought he could ad lib the play and ignore the decision to punt.  But I digress.

Personally, I wouldn't have punted either.  I would have snapped it to the punter and have him book it straight back into the end zone, run sideways until the defense was upon him, then step out the back for the safety.  It would kill a few more seconds with the play itself, then the free kick would burn some more time.  But either way it would have given BL the ball much farther away from scoring.

[BlackcatAlum]

I don't know what happened at the end, I seriously doubt they called for Johnson to not punt the football. I think Johnson seen a lane to run and just made a bad play. Wildcats definitely got lucky their at the end.

I guess that's possible.  If true, though, it still reflects poorly on the coaches if the player thought he could ad lib the play and ignore the decision to punt.  But I digress.

Personally, I wouldn't have punted either.  I would have snapped it to the punter and have him book it straight back into the end zone, run sideways until the defense was upon him, then step out the back for the safety.  It would kill a few more seconds with the play itself, then the free kick would burn some more time.  But either way it would have given BL the ball much farther away from scoring.

Looking back at the play again on WPRG's broadcast and judging by the coaches on the sidelines reaction, that definitely wasn't what was called.

Either a punt was called or running around (like you said) and taking a safety had to be what was called, I think Johnson just seen a lane and tried to make a play.

[BlackcatAlum]

I believe 16 was wide open on the play. He wasn’t even looked at.

16 was open, but I mean #4 Allen is their go to guy on the outside so I can't blame Parsons for trying to go his way for the win. 

Play before the last is what should've been the touchdown for Betsy Layne. McCutcheon was OPEN for a few seconds and would've scored, but the Valley nose guard blew past the BL center and got pressure on Parsons instantly delaying the throw.

[bac2369]

I believe 16 was wide open on the play. He wasn’t even looked at.

16 was open, but I mean #4 Allen is their go to guy on the outside so I can't blame Parsons for trying to go his way for the win. 

Play before the last is what should've been the touchdown for Betsy Layne. McCutcheon was OPEN for a few seconds and would've scored, but the Valley nose guard blew past the BL center and got pressure on Parsons instantly delaying the throw.

Yep on the wheel route..

[Blue_Bird96]

Great game to watch. Congratulations to shelby valley on making the necessary adjustments in the second half to earn the win!

[FballFan67]

I was just able to catch the end so I missed the comeback part by Valley. But congrats to their defense for getting stop after stop the second half. They came up huge for them. The ending was one of the more bizarre things that I have seen. I really hope that wasn't the call by the coach because if it was that is about the worst play call I may have ever witnessed. But hopefully it was just the QB trying to make a big play because he is very capable of that but in that scenario he should have just punted the ball because on both of Betsy Laynes last 2 plays I thought they had a shot to score.

But on the possession before when Betsy Layne threw the interception I think they got greedy. They had 2 timeouts and plenty of time on the clock and around the 30 yard line I think. They didn't need a homerun there and it seemed like they were driving the ball good.

[BlackcatAlum]

SV coach was interviewed by the Appalachian News Express after the game and said he wanted his QB to run around to kill clock and take a safety and then onside kick the kickoff. The coach took responsibility for not having his guys prepared for that situation and took the blame.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/Qt6Mb8y...tid=WC7FNe

[BlackcatPride32]

I was just able to catch the end so I missed the comeback part by Valley. But congrats to their defense for getting stop after stop the second half. They came up huge for them. The ending was one of the more bizarre things that I have seen. I really hope that wasn't the call by the coach because if it was that is about the worst play call I may have ever witnessed. But hopefully it was just the QB trying to make a big play because he is very capable of that but in that scenario he should have just punted the ball because on both of Betsy Laynes last 2 plays I thought they had a shot to score.

But on the possession before when Betsy Layne threw the interception I think they got greedy. They had 2 timeouts and plenty of time on the clock and around the 30 yard line I think. They didn't need a homerun there and it seemed like they were driving the ball good.

I think they got greedy as well. You had plenty of time to keep riding McCutcheon. I don't think he's overwhelmingly fast; but he runs hard, has great vision, and footwork.

[More Cowbell]

SV coach was interviewed by the Appalachian News Express after the game and said he wanted his QB to run around to kill clock and take a safety and then onside kick the kickoff. The coach took responsibility for not having his guys prepared for that situation and took the blame.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/Qt6Mb8y...tid=WC7FNe

Well there you go.  I mean, that's good that he didn't call for the fake punt.  But still, you've got to instill in players to do what the coach says, and not try to ad lib something.  It almost cost them the game.

[Hawks101]

I think a lot of the win for sv comes from second half adjustments. They did that 2 weeks in a roll after half time. It show last night BL just rely’s on 2 players and makes them one dimensional. Congrats valley

[Blacksmith]

I rewatched it and like several mentioned, I don't think that was the play that was called in SV last possession. I think there was a miscommunication and it almost cost them the game..

[Buddy Holly]

Miscommunication between QB and coach. I believe SV wanted to run most of the clock out and take the safety. Johnsons athletic ability is arguably as good as anyone in the mountains but you can tell his lack of experience and game situations. Bad mistake could’ve cost them the game but they found a way to pull it out. Congrats SV. 2-0 in the district and very likely to go 3-0 and host two play off games.